About

Candis Callison is an Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Journalism at UBC. Her research and teaching are focused on changes to media practices and platforms, journalism ethics, the role of social movements in public discourse, and understanding how issues related to science and technology become meaningful for diverse publics.

Candis’ new book, How Climate Change Comes to Matter: The Communal Life of Facts (Duke University Press, 2014) uses ethnographic methods and a comparative lens to bring together the work of science journalists, scientists, and three distinct social groups that are outside environmental movement and policy frameworks in an American context. Building in part on this research, Candis was recently awarded a SSHRC Insight Grant to look at changes to professional norms, practices and standards for Canadian Arctic journalists working in an era of environmental change and global audiences. She will be launching a blog about this research soon.

Candis also has two additional ongoing collaborative research projects with J-school colleague, Alfred Hermida that are funded by the Canadian Media Research Consortium. The first investigates how social networking technologies are being used by First Nations individuals and communities in Canada for social engagement, self-representation, and governance (See interview on CBC Radio’s Spark). The second involves the launch of theSocial Media Advanced Research, Teaching and Training Lab (SMARTT Lab), a new interdisciplinary center at the J-school dedicated to understanding the interplay between social networks, the media and public discourse.

This year (2014-15) Candis will be teaching a new course, Anthropology of Science and Technology (JRNL 520F), cross-listed with Anthropology and Journalism. She will continue to teach Media Ethics and Leadership (JRNL 533) as well as New Media and Society (JRNL 100), the J-school’s only undergraduate course taught as part of UBC Coordinated Arts Program’s Media Studies Stream. In previous years, Candis has taught Science and Environment Journalism (with Nicola Jones).
Candis holds a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology, and Society. Candis also has a Master of Science from MIT in Comparative Media Studies. Prior to her academic work, Candis produced, wrote, and reported for television, the Internet, and radio in Canada (CBC, CTV) and the United States (Lycos, Tech TV).

A few professional highlights: Candis was the original host and co-creator of First Story, the first news and current affairs series on Aboriginal issues to be broadcast nationally in Canada on CTV; it was later syndicated to APTN. For her early concurrent work in media convergence, Candis was profiled in the 2003 book, Technology with Curves: Women Reshaping the Digital Landscape. Her independently produced film, Traditional Renaissance was included in UBC Museum of Anthropology’s 2003-04 exhibition on Tahltan culture, “Mehodihi: Our Great Ancestors Lived that Way.”

Candis is currently on the Board of Directors for Science World, the Advisory Board for Carbon Talks and the Editorial Board for the bi-monthly journal, Anthropology Today. Born and raised in and around Vancouver, Candis is a member of the Tahltan Nation located in northwestern B.C. She is married with two young children.